I would rather have 10 solid followers than a 1,000 followers who really aren’t inspired by my work.

I would never want to be a celebrity because although most actors crave attention, it’s the attention of convenience that is really what they seek. Unfortunately, that’s just not how being popular works. Once you open the door to acclaim, you also open the door to critical acclaim but I don’t think anyone can be prepared to face the ruthless and uncensored criticism of faceless critics.

How can you be offended by someone you don’t know? How can someone who has values, ethics and morals that are not in alignment with yours, make you feel less than a human? Yet, it happens.

Seeking popularity is nothing more than feeding that little child inside us that seeks approval or validation. It’s quite sad but once you understand this, it’s an opportunity to be compassionate to yourself and to understand one another better.

I would rather have 50 solid followers than a 1,000 followers who really aren’t inspired by my work.

Have you noticed that people who have a healthy sense of self worth seldom criticize others. It seems to me that those who have wise and rational well thought out points rarely comment or speak out negatively because they are content in their truth and as a result do not feel the need to defend a point or criticize others.

If you practice the principle of being what you seek, you understand that your vibe attracts your tribe, as they say. Once you are true to yourself, instead of trying to please the false sense of who you are, you will attract people who share your values and life becomes more harmonious. Who is the real you?

It’s interesting, because when I was younger I thought those who didn’t fight back were weak and now I understand how strong taking the high road really is. When you engage in any kind of hurtful battle, no one wins and you enable and continue the behavior. In addition, that negativity stays with you and if you continue with this behavior, you eventually become desensitized to it.

It’s quite sad because from my own observations, those who criticize and engage in hurtful words or behavior are really quite lost inside. I imagine it to be like a maze, you enter into a certain behavior and when you look back, there is no clear path on how you got to this point or how you can go back. You forget what it’s like to be anything other than the person you are and the idea of change is incredibly overwhelming. So you stick to your destructive behavior.

As an artist, I understand that craving for attention. It’s almost if not entirely a form of narcissism since an artist is obsessed with sharing their point of view because they feel it can transform or inspire you.

But after listening to a recent Buddhist lecture titled “Putting meaning into your life” by Ajahn Brahm, I feel a little better about this whole idea. If the intention of what you share is because you care and it actually helps someone, then you have succeeded at compassion even if it’s one human at a time. So, even if I have inspired one person in my lifetime and it’s helped them in some way, I am comfortable with that. So yes, I am an artist and I quite possibly may be a narcissist. xo